Driving Ella’s ear appeal

ELLA Morgan, 10, is like many happy go lucky children, but behind the good looks and huge smile is a brave little girl putting on a big front.

Granddaughter of Jim and Joy Morgan of Leongatha and daughter of son Nick and Bel and sister to Lucy, 5, and Evie, 3, of Albury, Ella was born on June 27, 2005 with a congenital ear condition called Microtia Atresia.

The condition affects the formation of the outer ear and the development of the ear canal.

As a result, she has severe conductive hearing loss in her right ear, mild hearing loss in her left, and cosmetically an underdeveloped right ear.

For Ella and her parents, life has not been a bed of roses but for this little girl, after many sleepless nights and research, there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Ella is a candidate for not only outer ear reconstruction surgery, but also ear canal (atresia) repair that will open Ella’s ear.

It was during the annual Microtia and Atresia conference in Brisbane that Nick and Belle were fortunate enough to meet American surgeons Dr Joseph Roberson (otologist) and Dr John Reinish (plastic surgeon).

Together they perform the world’s only Combined Atresia and Microtia (CAM) surgery.

This surgery is extremely complex. Dr Roberson performs the Atresia repair. He will create a new ear canal and ear drum to achieve near normal hearing.

Dr Reinish performs the Microtia repair, which uses a synthetic ear framework called Medpor and a complex skin grafting procedure to build a new ear.

The only barrier is the surgery is not available in Australia and only carried out in the USA at a cost of some $110,000 that includes the surgery, combined with post-operative care and the recovery period of four to six weeks.

While mum and dad both work, such a sum is almost impossible to consider, but with family and friends’ support the dream is becoming a reality.

Bel has started a boutique online, handmade jewellery business, so when she isn’t working her day job she burns the midnight oil and creates stunning jewellery to help raise much needed funds. See Poppy Clay Jewellery – For Ella’s Ear Fundraiser.

Ella’s poppy and nanny Joy and Jim are doing all they can to help raise funds and are thrilled Darryl McGannon of Edney’s Leongatha has jumped on board with a great deal on a popular Nissan Micra ST Auto Hatch being raffled now in Leongatha.

Darryl said he was only too happy to help out such a worthy cause and encourages everyone to jump on board and give Ella a go!

If you would like to help this little girl with a big struggle, then tickets are available at The Great Southern Star office, Edney’s of Leongatha, Panther’s Mensland, and Stockdale and Leggo, Leongatha and Inverloch.

You even have a great chance of winning a top car as there are only 1000 tickets being sold and already many of those have been snapped up. All tickets purchased are tax deductible.